Is there any way to make a hen go broody?

[Ol Grey Mare]

Of course, there is always the tinfoil...........

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ken-broodiness-by-up-to-48-with-aluminum-foil

 

[BoiseChik]

Hello, this is a great thread! Can you please give me some pointers... This is my first time trying to raise chicks with a broody hen.
I have a broody BO hen in a small backyard flock of 8. I am getting some fertilized EE eggs from a friend. So, first of all should I seperate her with her eggs from the rest of the flock? I have the ability to give her a private section of my coop with a small run, and access to her own food and water. Will she and hopefully her chicks have special dietary needs?
Also, for my friend saving the eggs for me, how should she safely save the eggs to keep them alive?
What is a good number of eggs to give her?
When can she free range with her chicks, around the other hens? (She is low in the pecking order, but they have a large yard to free range in.)

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hello, this is a great thread! Can you please give me some pointers...
I have a broody BO hen in a small backyard flock of 8. I am getting some fertilized EE eggs from a friend. So, first of all should I seperate her with her eggs from the rest of the flock? I have the ability to give her a private section of my coop with a small run, and access to her own food and water. Will she and hopefully her chicks have special dietary needs?
Also, for my friend saving the eggs for me, how should she safely save the eggs to keep them alive?

The issue to separate or not to separate is a personal choice - I have always just hatched in the flock, and had great success doing so. There are pros and cons to either option.
Whether the broody and any chicks have special dietary needs depends on what you are feeding your flock now. If you are feeding layer feed, yes - the broody and chicks will need a starter or grower feed that does not have the excessive calcium found in layer feed -- excess calcium can cause serious internal damage to birds who are not actively producing eggs (ie young chicks, broody hens, old hens, male birds). If, though, you are feeding your flock grower feed rather than layer (this is the program I use for my flock) then everyone - broody and chicks included - can eat what is already being fed (for this program, simply offer oyster shell on the side for the calcium needs of actively laying birds).
For best results on hatching eggs your friend should place them in an egg carton, fat end up, and elevate one end of the carton about 45 degrees (easy to do with a stack of books). A couple of times a day, your friend should change which end of the carton is elevated. The best temperature to preserve fertility and give the best hatch rate is commonly accepted to be around 55 degrees. Ask your friend to take care in selecting the eggs saved for you - they should be clean so as not to require cleaning because you want yoru eggs to be unwashed to preserve the natural "bloom" on the outside of the eggs. You want eggs that are regular "egg shape" and of good size - not too small and not too large (too large introduces the increased chance of double yolk which is not a good thing - having "twins" may sound neat, but hte reality is that they are rarely successful at hatching on their own and most responsible breeders will not set double yolkers. Of course you also want eggs with good shells - no cracks, no visible thin spots, etc. It is best to "save" eggs for no more than 10 days as the hatch rate starts to drop with eggs stored longer than that prior to incubation being started.

 

[scflock]

The issue to separate or not to separate is a personal choice - I have always just hatched in the flock, and had great success doing so. There are pros and cons to either option.
Whether the broody and any chicks have special dietary needs depends on what you are feeding your flock now. If you are feeding layer feed, yes - the broody and chicks will need a starter or grower feed that does not have the excessive calcium found in layer feed -- excess calcium can cause serious internal damage to birds who are not actively producing eggs (ie young chicks, broody hens, old hens, male birds). If, though, you are feeding your flock grower feed rather than layer (this is the program I use for my flock) then everyone - broody and chicks included - can eat what is already being fed (for this program, simply offer oyster shell on the side for the calcium needs of actively laying birds).
For best results on hatching eggs your friend should place them in an egg carton, fat end up, and elevate one end of the carton about 45 degrees (easy to do with a stack of books). A couple of times a day, your friend should change which end of the carton is elevated. The best temperature to preserve fertility and give the best hatch rate is commonly accepted to be around 55 degrees. Ask your friend to take care in selecting the eggs saved for you - they should be clean so as not to require cleaning because you want yoru eggs to be unwashed to preserve the natural "bloom" on the outside of the eggs. You want eggs that are regular "egg shape" and of good size - not too small and not too large (too large introduces the increased chance of double yolk which is not a good thing - having "twins" may sound neat, but hte reality is that they are rarely successful at hatching on their own and most responsible breeders will not set double yolkers. Of course you also want eggs with good shells - no cracks, no visible thin spots, etc. It is best to "save" eggs for no more than 10 days as the hatch rate starts to drop with eggs stored longer than that prior to incubation being started.

X2

 

[BoiseChik]

Also, the best way to get a broody is not to want a broody, lol.  I have a Light Brahma in my current flock who went broody last fall (ripe old age of approx. 7 months ) - I gave her 5 eggs, she hatched those five and definitely proved herself as a mother in her raising of them.  That was my test run for her - I had plans.  This spring the time came to start thinking about making the additions to the flock (I like a multi-generational flock), and I was really, really, REALLY hoping she'd make it easy on me and go broody so I could just slip some day-olds under her (wanted sexed pullets and breeds I didn't already have in the flock, plus had since rid the flock of the rooster so no fertile eggs w/out buying them).  Nope, she had ZERO interest in the idea - I finally gave in and bought chicks to start in the brooder myself.  Fast forward about 8 weeks and guess who up and went broody - nope, sorry, don't need a broody right now -- what I need is for you to get your fluffy butt off the nest and get back to your other job of laying eggs.  To be fair to her, it is more natural for them to want to brood in the late spring/summer than during the time that is convenient for us (early spring - especially if adoption is in the plans due to the peak availability of chicks at that time), so I can't really fault her for her timing.

I'm very interested to know how you maintain a multigenerational flock. It seems that different ages of hens tend to pick on each other. I would like to let my two year old hens live out their life and slowly add to my flock as the older ones decline egg production. (Another question, about how long do they live?) my plan is to start adding to my flock by giving my broody fertile eggs. Not sure how the older hens will treat the new chicks.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I'm very interested to know how you maintain a multigenerational flock. It seems that different ages of hens tend to pick on each other. I would like to let my two year old hens live out their life and slowly add to my flock as the older ones decline egg production. (Another question, about how long do they live?) my plan is to start adding to my flock by giving my broody fertile eggs. Not sure how the older hens will treat the new chicks.

"Picking on" other birds is part of chicken society - it is how the pecking order is established and maintained - it is how older birds teach younger birds the rules of being a good member of the chicken society. (note, there is a difference between chicken discipline within the flock and aggression/abuse - the former I will gladly have take place in my flocks, the latter is not tolerated). The experience and maturity that older birds can bring to the table can really be beneficial when it comes to maintaining a happy, healthy flock as you have someone there to put the "wild oats" youngin's in their place and keep things from getting out of hand. I liken this to the issues seen in Africa when too many mature bull elephants had been taken out of a given area - some by poachers and some had been re-located with good intentions - the problems arose when the next group of young males started to come of age. With no mature male elephants there to keep the young bulls in check, they were soon running amok and causing all sorts of very serious and dangerous problems that had not been seen in those areas before with regards to elephants. Children, be they human, elephant or chicken, need guidance and boundaries - without someone there to set *and* enforce those boundaries you soon have anarchy. Even without the behavior factors, just having an experienced bird there that can show the younger birds how to be, well, a chicken can be valuable - it isn't all about the "negative" lessons, there are plenty of positive lessons they can offer too as they lead by example.

An easy way to start yourself out with a multi-generational flock is to pick up your first group in the spring of the first year. By fall those first pullets have started to lay, will likely continue laying through their first winter and be going gang-busters in the following spring. The second spring you add your next set of birds (purchased or hatched) - if your timing is right and luck is on your side, these new birds should start to lay about the time your first batch reaches the point of their first adult molt -- the molting birds will likely experience a disruption in laying, but your new layers are picking up so no big problem. Your original group may or may not come right back into production after their molt is over - this will depend on breed, whether you use supplemental lighting, etc.....many will "take the winter off" after that big molt. In the spring, your oldest group will be coming back into production if they took the winter off - adding to the eggs being produced by your younger group.

Where there is some planning involved here is in how large you start and how large you want to end up - if your intention is to keep every bird you take on from the day you get it to the end of it's natural life, you are going to have to start and add in small increments or you'll soon be overrun with birds and, as the first group hits 4+ years of age start seeing a lot of your feed and investment go to "free loaders". Or, you can take a modified approach (this is my take for the flock I am currently building) - next spring will be the beginning of the second laying cycle for my oldest birds (they will be 2 in March). At the end of that cycle (next fall) I will be making selections of those birds who will stay into their third year - I have one proven good broody Brahma who will be kept because I like having a good broody around and 3 "family favorite" birds that I know will be staying - the rest of that first group of 15 will have to have "earned" their way onto the keeper list by having shown a valuable role in leadership or stellar production that makes me think it's worth holding onto them for the 3rd laying cycle...all others will be sold off or processed. I have 2 pullets that were hatched (by the broody mentioned above) last fall who I will keep at least through the end of their second cycle, meaning they won't be up for the chopping block just yet next fall. I have 5 pullets that I started this spring - I'll sort them out onto the keep or sell list next fall depending on how they have performed. So - that would mean I would have a flock anywhere from 4-11 left at that point (the 4 oldest birds - 2 1/2, 2 two year olds and 5 that are 1 1/2) Next spring I'll be ordering fairly heavy for a group of probably 25+ pullets - this puts me in the position that next fall when it's time to decide who stays/goes I can easily keep my total flock numbers where I want them by selling some combination of birds from my exisiting flock and the point-of-lay pullets I started in the spring ----from that point it will be the same each following year as each mature bird either earns her place in my flock another year or is cycled out. Some birds may stay to the end of their natural life, others will be there from 1-4 years depending on when they just don't fit with what I want from my flock anymore. *IF* the right rooster comes along I may, once again, add a roo to the mix - from there the male population of the flock will be managed in the same way as the female population ---each bird will earn his/her place on either the keep list or out list.

Things to consider in flock planning - cockerels. I notice you are wanting to have your broody do the hatching for you - there is something wonderful about watching a good broody hatch her eggs and raise her chicks *but* there is the issue of cockerels to consider here. Just be sure you have factored in unexpected/unwanted/unallowed/extra cockerels into your plans - whether that means you will process them or try to re-home/sell them. Out of my last broody hatch she started 5 eggs, hatched 5 chicks and we got 3 cockerels. An alternative is to obtain day-old chicks when you have a broody and try to have her adopt them to raise -- this allows you to purchase sexed pullet chicks to give her (5-15% chance of a cockerel is better than the odds with most hatches I've had, lol). Neither way is the "right" way - just an option to consider and choose which you think fits best with what you want/plan for your flock.

As to the broody hen and chicks in the flock - I have always left my broody hens in the flock to hatch and raise their chicks. For me, it is the simplest approach and I have been fortunate enough to have only had positive outcomes with it. A good broody hen (there are good broodies and bad broodies) is worth her weight in gold when it comes to this - she will manage her chicks just fine in a mixed flock by making sure the other adult birds know to leave her/the kids alone but also not interfering if/when one of the kids gets out of line and receives appropriate discipline for it from another flock member (example - chicks often wander away from mama and rudely invade another bird's space, eat the food in that space, etc -- one or two disciplinary pecks send them back to where they belong with mom and teach them a little bit of manners --- very different than if an adult flock member becomes aggressive to the chicks). Having the chicks raised in the flock also eliminates a lot of the bigger issues associated with trying to integrate new birds into the flock because by the time they are 'weaned' by mama hen they have been accepted as "belonging" to the group -- they will still go through the process of finding their place in the pecking order, but it is not nearly the same as when new, strange birds are brought in and seen as invaders to be gotten rid of.

 

[BoiseChik]

Once again, thank you for the great information. I will read through that a few times to thoroughly digest it. I have had backyard chickens for just over two years now, and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! I told my husband that I want to have chickens for the rest of my life. It is so interesting to me, and I love the animal husbandry aspects, and have a love for the individual birds too. I know a lot of people who have chickens, and the general practice seems to be to keep them for a year or two and then cull the flock and start over. Although I am new at this, I really hope that we don't have to do it that way. I have 4 kids and they love each hen, and each hen is very tame and has a charming old lady name, (Agnes, Charlotte, Herriot, Beatrice etc.) ;-] My hens turned two in May, and we have already had three deaths from natural causes, basically they got sick and died, or suddenly died. I was glad to have it go that way and not have to either go to the vet with them or have to kill them ourselves. We still get a good number of eggs from the eight hens, maybe 5 for an average, with days that are more like 6 or 7. I was hoping that the original flock would continue to age out of the flock naturally. I'm kind of curious to see how that would play out, how long they would live and if they would still lay etc. We have a pretty small coop, but they are only in the coop at night and free range a large fenced yard all day. If this experiment with my broody and her nest of fertilized eggs works out, I'd like to keep doing this every so often to grow the flock, have an amazing experience for the family and have a flock that is replenishing itself.
I did end up getting fourteen (hopefully all fertilized) eggs from a friend with an Americana rooster. Her hens are Americana, and some other breeds. I am prepared for a mix of cockerels and pullets and will likely have to rehome or harvest the cockerels. (I have sucessfully rehomed 3 roosters so far.) So, I do have a few more questions...My first question is, how soon can you candle an egg? Also, how many days till hatching begins? And, if she's been sitting on her eggs for 24hours now can I add anymore eggs to her nest now or should they all be started at the same time? (Someone offered me some other fertilized eggs). And what is the average chicken lifespan? Lastly, this might sound crazy, but I would love to keep a rooster and wonder if there is anyway to 'de-crow' a rooster. We can legally keep roosters, but are in too dense of an area to have a noisy rooster.

 

[drumstick diva]

I think some of the broodiest breeds are SILKIES (The champions), Cochins, Buff Orpingtons- this doesn't mean every hen of that breed will do so. Hatchery birds are ???,
Once you have a very broody breed, they will inconvenience you by doing so, when you don't want them too. Setting broodies stop laying. If they go broody often they can get through most of the year without providing YOU with eggs. But every pro has a con,so you have to decide if it's right for you.

My friend has house pet hens (serama & silkie) they go broody (modified) often but, no rooster so infertile eggs. Most of the time they just sit on air, and take over the dogs bed. When they get bored with invisible eggs, they start watching TV again with my friend and the dog gets his bed back. I think being kept in the house messes up their broody hormones.

 

[adylina]

Wow, what a post! Your information there is absolute gold, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. You can tell that Ol Grey Mare knows her stuff!

*scribbles notes for later reference*